1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154 
Fiat 159
Page 74
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Power trend
FIAT'S contender in the fiercely contested 16-ton market, the 159, is a good example of the trend towards more power in this category. With 118kW (158bhp) available from its naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine, the Fiat had an excellent specification on paper which was backed up by its performance on the road.
For 16-tonners with a "haulage" axle ratio, the fuel consumption norm for the Midlands route is a round 11mog, which the Fiat beat by returning 25.2 lit/100km (11.2mpg). It did this while getting round in the shortest time ever for a 16tonner. Our test vehicle was fitted with a single-speed axle although when the 159 was first announced it was scheduled to have a two-speed option. Having tested the Fiat, I think the torque band is perfectly adequate to get away with the single-speed axle.
One criticism which I did have of the 159 was the long plume of black smoke from the exhaust when pulling hard. While it was not up to GV9 standards, it was not a good advertisement for the vehicle.